Improvement in portable telegraph apparatus



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I Portahla Telegraph Apparatus N0.15l,101. Patented Ma 19.1874.

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V. H. De FORVILLEN Portable Telegraph Apparatus Patented May 19, 1874.

VALENTINE HAIIY DE FORVILLE, OF ST. PETERSBUBG, RUSSIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

Specification form i iig iiart of Letters Patent No. ISLEQH, dated May 19, 1874; application filed K February 24, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, the Marquis VALENTINE HAI'iY DE FORVILLE, of St. Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia, have invented Improvements in Portable Telegraphing Apparatus for use on Railroad-Trains, of which the following is a specification:

This invention, in the main, consists of improvements on an apparatus for which I filed an application for Letters Patent on the 9th day of April, 1873. I shall, therefore, give but abrief description here of those features common to both.

I will now describe it by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a front or faceview of the apparatus as arranged for use. Fig. 2 is aplan or top view of the apparatus in part, the top and front of the case only being open. Fig. 3 shows a plan of the connections of the electric current with the magnet and wires, and the changes of which said current is susceptible. Fig. 4 represents a vertical section of the bracket for making connections of the instrument with the main line, taken on the line 00 a; of Fig. 3, its cover being shown in similar section.

The same letters appearing on the several figures indicate like parts.

The instrument is to be arranged for operation as represented in Fig. 1, and the connections made through the serre-fils or thumbscrews a a with one or both ends of the severed telegraph-wire; if with both it forms anon nection with the main wire to both right and left, without destroying the continuity of the through line if with one only the other serrefil must be connected bya wire with the ground.

I prefer, when practicable, to provide brackets or commutators at convenient distances apart, with which the main wire is connected in such manner as not to interfere with the through current when the portable instrument is not in use, and through which the electric current may be made to traverse the line in either direction, according to the position of the plug q, as hereinafter described, the connections being formed by the contact of the springs X Y Z with the wires and with the ground. These connections, to form the circuit of the electric current, are indicated in Fig. 3, through the plates X Y Z, which, by the interposition of the plug q, forms the circuit of the main line when the latter is placed between the plates Y and Z, and with the ground when between eitherof those and the plate X, through the spring X or its contactbars a, to either of which the ground-wire must be attached, and the main-wire connection made on the right or left at a or a, as desired.

The magnet, armature, tapereel, and print ing devices are all similar to those commonly used in the Morse system, as also in my previous application, therefore need no further description here.

The shaft f, with its series of cams g, the latter having a sliding motion on said shaft,

and in spline gear, so as to rotate therewith, and to be moved along said shaft until. a particular one of said cams is brought under the finger lever or key h, is to be rotated by means of the crank-handle *5, through the bevel-gears k, and when turned to the right will communicate the word .or sign thereof to which the index-finger n points, beginning with a hyphen or dash, and when turned to the left, or in the reverse direction, will indicate the finger or numeral in rear of such word on the plate 1;,

commencing with a point, in which manner messages may be sent by a person entirely unskilled in telegraphy. A yoke, 1', spans the series of cams g, by which they are caused to slide on the shaft f. This yoke is provided with a pointer or index, n, and is free to turn up or down on its axis f. The signal-plate, on which the series of messages are engraved, has a comb or rack, s, at its rear edge, the notches in which are in line with the rows of words engraved upon said plate 12, and in one of these notches the index n is caused to rest to prevent any possibility of the cams g slipping to the right or left during the sending of a mes sage. This signalplate is also hinged to the frame of the machine at if, so that when out of use it may be turned upward, whereby the apparatus is rendered extremely compact. The stationary bracket for the attachment of the portable instrument consists of a cast-iron case, A, with a hinged cover, 13, for inclosing the parts through which the continuation of the main line is formed, and by which the magnet of the portable instrument is brought within the circuit for operation. On the inside of the back part of this case or bracket A are attached two metallic slides, O O, which are insulated therefrom by a sheet of rubber, D, or other suitable material, and on the back of the portable instrument are two metal plates, 1;, partially covering two vertical grooves or recesses, 20, therein, which, when the instrument is applied, receive the outer faces of the slides G O, which, through the medium of the springs Y Z, complete the connection of the main wire through the instrument, the right-hand end of the main wire being in contact with the spring Z, and the lefthand one with the spring Y, while the central spring X forms the ground connection, any two of which may be controlled by adjusting the position of the plug 1 the righthand connection of the main wire being through the slide 0, spring Z, plate 1), and wire 12 with the plate Z, and the left-hand one through the slide 0, spring Y, plate c, and wire 11 with the plate Y, thus completing the circuit of the main wire through the instrument by the interposition of the plug (1 between the plates Y and Z, while the plate X is connected with the ground-wire 12 boss to, and spring X, with which said ground-wire is connected, and which may be put in connection with the right or left hand wire by the interposition of the plug q bet-ween the plates Z and X, or between Y and X, as desired. These wire connections 1;, 12, and c, as also those marked 10 and 10, forming connections with the serre-fils a and a, are all embedded in grooves in the bottom of the box,

and insulated from the base of the instrument, while the wires y, y, and y are insulated on the under side of the base-plate, and form the circuit through the magnet E, key h, and key post h, which circuit is closed or broken by the action of the cams g on the key h when said cams are being rotated to communicate the message or sign thereof indicated by the pointer a on the plate 19. When the portable apparatus is removed the continuity of the main line is restored by the rearward lips c of the springs Y Z coming in contact with the bar 0, by which the connection of the two wires is formed, and which connectionis broken by the application of the portable apparatus to said bracket or commutator, when the circuit is completed through the instrument, or to the right or left, according to the position of the plug q, as before described.

lVhat I claim herein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The slides O C and springs X Y Z, ar ranged for operation, in connection with the plates 12 t and boss a, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The yoke 7', having an index-finger, a, in combination with the sliding camsg, shaft f, and comb s, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with the plate 1) and index-finger n, the comb s, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Min ms V. IIAUY DE FORYILLE.

Witnesses:

PETER QUosIe, Consrnnrrnn DE Borusoo, 

